How to make vegan sushi (and make it gluten-free)
Sushi… My newfound love!
I am completely and utterly obsessed with sushi yet finding the perfect platter of your favourite rolls can be difficult when you are looking for vegan (& GF) options. So recently I have taken to making sushi myself. Sushi with no fish?… no problem! Avoiding gluten?…also no problem. We have used gluten-free rice vinegar and gluten-free soy sauce (Tamari) for this recipe to ensure it’s safe for Coeliacs or those with gluten sensitivity.
You can make tasty homemade sushi so easily with lots of your favourite vegan ingredients.
Let’s make this vegan sushi recipe (can be made Gluten-Free with just a few swaps!)
It might look difficult to make, filling and rolling your own vegan sushi, but it really doesn’t have to be. In fact, I’d say it’s really simple although the process can be time-consuming. Once the rice is perfectly cooked and prepared, then the process is easy peasy.
LiberEat brings to you the guide to the perfect vegan and gluten-free sushi!
Vegan and Gluten-Free Sushi Fillings
The amazing thing about sushi is you can add any vegan filling you like and prefer. For example, tofu, avocado, cucumber, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potato, fresh ginger, coriander, chilli…I could go on forever. You can trial various mixes and find your favourite combinations.
Today I will start you off with two of my favourite vegan (& Gluten-free) sushi rolls for you to try out yourself!
What you will need for Vegan Sushi:
Surprisingly, you do not need too many ingredients and the ingredients you require can be found in most supermarkets.
You will need:
Please note: We have used all gluten-free options in this recipe, but if you are not avoiding gluten you can use regular rice vinegar and soy sauce.
- Sushi Rice – You can find in your local supermarket
- Gluten-free Rice vinegar (we used the Kikkoman brand)
- Sushi Nori (Roasted seaweed sheets)
- Bamboo Rolling mat – I got mine on Amazon, but you can get these atat a local supermarkets
- Your choice of fillings. We are using carrots, avocado, cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, sriracha, and vegan mayo.
- Sesame seeds (black or white)
- Gluten-free Soy sauce (Tamari – again, we used Kikkoman) – an essential for dipping your vegan sushi rolls
The Easy Vegan Sushi Method:
Method for Sushi Rice:
- I use this box (from Tesco – can be found in lots of other supermarkets). Wash 250g of sushi rice with cold water, stir in a circle with your hand. Drain and repeat until the water is clear. Then soak in cold water for 15-30 minutes (this allows the rice to absorb the water right to the centre of each grain before cooking) then drain thoroughly.
2. Add the washed rice to 330ml fresh cold water in a pan and bring to the boil, once boiled, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes with the lid on.
3. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes with the lid on.
4. Mix 2 teaspoons of the Gluten-free Rice Vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, and ½ tsp of salt together. Add cooked rice to a large bowl and mix in the rice vinegar mixture. Let it cool. Cover with a damp towel until it is ready to use.
Method for Vegan Cucumber, Avo and Carrot Sushi Roll:
- Lay a sheet of cling film over the bamboo rolling mat, this will stop your sushi rice from sticking to your bamboo mat. Add a sheet of nori.
2. Add enough sushi rice to cover most of the mat, leaving about 2cm at the top edge of the mat. Wet a spoon and spread the rice over the sheet of nori around 3-4cm thick.
3. Place the chopped cucumber, carrots, and avocado in a line along the bottom end of the Nori sheet (do not overfill as your sushi will be too thick).
4. Tuck your thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and hold the ingredients with your fingers. Then roll the bamboo mat and the nori sheet towards your fingers with slight pressure. Make sure that the ingredients are fully covered with the rice and the nori sheet. Roll slowly to ensure that the sushi is rolled evenly. Completely roll up the nori sheet.
5. Place your sushi roll on a chopping board. Before and after cutting run a sharp knife under cold water (this will allow for a more precise cut). Cut in half and then place the two halves side by side and chop into small even slices.
6. Serve with soy sauce and ENJOY!!
Method for Vegan Shiitake Mushroom and Spicy Mayo Roll:
- Spray some vegetable oil in a saucepan, add 4 shiitake mushrooms with 1 tbsp of Gluten-free Soy Sauce (Tamari), and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove mushrooms onto a chopping board. Slice into strips.
- Mix 2 tbsp Vegan Mayo and 2 tsp of Sriracha together (taste and add more sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it).
- Lay a sheet of cling film over the bamboo rolling mat, this will stop your sushi rice from sticking to your bamboo mat. Add a sheet of Nori.
- Add enough sushi rice to cover most of the mat, leaving about 2cm at the top edge. Wet a spoon and spread the sushi rice over the sheet of nori. Sprinkle a tsp of sesame seeds (white, black, or both) over your spread-out rice. Cover the rice and sesame seeds with another sheet of cling film and flip so the rice is face down. Pull off the other (first) layer of cling film which was over the nori sheet. You are basically making an inside-out version of the first sushi roll.
5. Place 1 tbsp of spicy mayo onto the nori sheet and spread along the bottom. Add mushrooms and sliced avocado in a thin line along the bottom of the nori sheet (ensure not to fill too much as you’ll be making it very difficult to roll).
6. Tuck your thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and hold the ingredients with your fingers. Then roll the bamboo mat and the Nori sheet towards your fingers with slight pressure. Make sure that the ingredients are fully covered with the rice and the nori sheet. Roll slowly to ensure that the sushi is rolled evenly. Completely roll up the nori sheet.
7. Place your sushi roll on a chopping board. Before and after cutting run a sharp knife under cold water (this will allow for a more precise cut). Cut in half and then place the two halves side by side and chop into small even slices.
8. Place ½ a tsp of spicy mayo on the top of each roll and ENJOY!
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